Fostering a Diverse and Inclusive Culture at UPM

Matilda Riikonen

Summer worker

At UPM, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to our business success and a healthy working environment. In June we celebrate the theme and remind that we all should be able to bring our whole selves to work.

“We actively and globally work towards our social responsibility targets”, our VP, People & Organizational Development Services, Kaisa Ventelä-Nilsson says.

We have set targets for social responsibility, diversity and inclusion being one of the goals. In 2024, we continued to strengthen our commitment to building a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute.

Our goal is to reach 40% female representation in professional and managerial roles by 2030. In 2024, we made steady progress, increasing representation to 34.5% (up from 32.3% in 2023). We also maintained a strong focus on inclusive leadership, with over 3,500 employees participating in D&I dialogue sessions since 2019.

Our approach is grounded in three key pillars: a clear commitment to diversity and inclusion, inclusive leadership, and continuous monitoring of our progress. These principles are embedded in our Code of Conduct, HR policies, and social responsibility targets.

We are proud to be a signatory of the EU Diversity Charter and to have established our own Employee Resource Group BeU, which supports LGBTIQ+ inclusion across our global operations. In addition, we are glad to be a member of Workplace Pride.

We have been conducting annual gender pay equity reviews since 2021 to close the unexplained gender pay gaps. We monitor the situation annually and make necessary adjustments.

Looking ahead, we will continue to benchmark our practices, expand our BeU Safe Contacts initiative, and integrate inclusive behaviors into leadership development. By fostering a culture where diverse perspectives are welcomed and valued, we aim to drive innovation, strengthen decision-making and business performance.

Diversity and inclusion

Impact story: Finnish forestry giant takes action to eliminate gender pay gaps

Story | 11/24/2025 09:55:25 | 4 min

Curtina: a small community that transforms waste and talent into opportunities

Story | 05/13/2025 07:35:39 | 3 min

UPM's Share and Care program focuses on youth, education, biodiversity and climate

Story | 10/20/2025 10:10:40 | 4 min